Does Werth have $$$ on his mind? And get draft scoop here

So just imagine how badly he thinks Jayson Werth needs one for him to keep him out of the lineup today?

“I think he needs a blow, get off his feet, slow down,” Manuel said.

That’s an understatement.

Werth, the Phillies’ five-hole hitter, was 1-for-15 (.067) in the first four games of the homestand. Twice he struck out to end the game when the Phillies were trailing and had runners on base.

The slump, though, has only gotten worse with time.

From May 19 to June 7, a span of 17 games, he was 8-for-57 (.140) with 21 strikeouts and only six RBIs. His average fell from .326 to .278.

He’s hit just one home run in his last 54 plate appearances.

The question everyone wants answered is if he’s thinking about that big contract he wants at the end of the season when he becomes a free agent.

Werth would not make himself available to reporters, but said through a team spokesman that he “doesn’t feel that’s on his mind.”

How many ways can I (sarcastically) say….Yeah, right…OK….Whatever…As if.

Manuel has been around long enough to know that it’s nearly impossible not to be thinking about it.

“I think something like that has to. It has to,” Manuel emphasized. “I definitely think that. I think everyone is like that. Even if I guy is quiet, I know it does. I know in his mind that he thinks like that. He really got off to a tremendous start and when things started going a little bad for him, he thinks about it.”

Manuel, a hitting guru, has been watching Werth closely throughout this stretch and see a few things wrong with his swing that even hitting 400-500 balls in the cage Monday didn’t help.

“He strides fast, swings hard, pulls off the ball some,” Manuel said. “He works the right way, tries to hit down through the ball. He gets in the game, he starts to want to do too much. He starts going fast. The game really speeds up for him. When Jayson is hitting good, he works the count. He used to get in the hole 0-2, 1-2, and he’d really battle not to strike out. He’d serve balls to right field. Right now, he’s going bad. He’s pulling off the ball.”

Manuel said he’s not sure yet if this is going to be just a one-day thing with Werth of if he might keep him out of the lineup for several games.

“I like to take things day by day,” Manuel said.“I’ll watch him take BP and watch what he’s doing. That plays a part in it too.”

DRAFT SCOOP

The Phillies made 29 more picks in the second round of the First-Year Player Draft Tuesday, giving them 30 picks for the first two days.

The club, so far, has taken 14 right-handed pitchers, six infielders, five left-handed pitchers, three outfielders and two catchers.

Prior to the draft, Wolever said the organization was particularly looking for catcher, left-handed pitchers and infielders.

Scouting director Marti Wolever was especially excited about catcher Cameron Rupp (6-2, 230), who they took in the third round with the 108th pick overall. Rupp is from the University of Texas –Austin. Wolever said his build is similar to Mike Piazza and Sandy Alomar Jr.

“He’s a big, strong guy,” Wolever said. “He has a chance to be a very, very good receiver.”

Perci Garner, who the Phillies too in the second round with the 77th pick overall, played football and baseball at Ball State. He’s a 6-2, 225-pound right-handed pitcher who Wolever said has a loose arm who he expects to be a middle or backend rotation guy.

“I think he’ll [start in the] to New York-Penn League and get some innings under his belt,” Wolever said.

Wolever also is high on fifth-round pick Scott Frazier, a high school senior out of Upland, Calif. The RHP is 6-5 and weighs 205 pounds. He’s committed to Pepperdine, but Wolever is hoping the club is persuasive and can sign. He admitted that Frazier didn’t appear to be one of the more signable guys they drafted.

“I think if he had more signability, he could have gone higher,” Wolever said. “He has a chance to be a special guy on the mound.”

IBANEZ COMING AROUND

Although Raul Ibanez has been in a slump as well, he said after Monday night’s game that he’s turning the corner thanks to loads of video and lots of extra batting practice and work in the cage.

“Without getting into too many details, [I’m] taking a shorter path to the ball and using less of my body,” Ibanez said. “When you don’t control your body the right way in the batter’s box, you don’t get in the right position. You don’t allow yourself to create the necessary bat speed that you have inside of you. When you get yourself in the right position, then you fire the right way and your bat travels the way it’s supposed to.”

Ibanez had a hit in Monday’s game and three hits and two RBIs by the fifth inning Tuesday.

What’s new: Jamie Moyer’s oldest son, Dillon Moyer, was taken in the 22nd round (675th overall) by the Twins. Dillon, 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, is a senior in high school in Florida. The consensus up in the press box is that he’ll turn down the Twins and take his scholarship from University of California-Irvine.

Of note:According to the Elias Sports Bureau, when Cole Hamels’ no-hitter was broken up in the seventh inning on Monday by back-to-back home runs, it was the first time that had been done in the seventh inning or later since it happened to Cardinals pitcher Dustin Hermanson on April 12, 2001.

Pre-game quote of the day:“It’s hard for me to take out two or three guys at once,” Manuel said. “When we put two or three of our bench players in the game, they haven’t been playing and they’re not real sharp. So you’re asking three guys to go in there and carry a pretty big load.”

Best of Charlie’s chat: “Start thinking home run, you swing too hard, you’re not controlling himself and you’re not controlling your adrenaline. Easy said, hard to do. That’s what happens.”

Stat of the day:J.A. Happ, on the D.L. with a left forearm strain, made his first rehab start on Tuesday. In three innings, he allowed three hits and two runs (both earned). He struck out two.

Visiting team tidbits: The Marlins will face Roy Halladay on Wednesday for the first time since he threw his perfect game against them on May 29 in Florida.